Correlation between COVID-19 vaccination and inflammatory musculoskeletal disorders (preprint)

ImportanceEarlier research on COVID-19 vaccines identified a range of adverse reactions related to proinflammatory actions that can lead to an excessive immune response and sustained inflammation. However, no study has been conducted on the association between inflammatory musculoskeletal disorders and COVID-19 vaccines. ObjectiveTo investigate the incidence rates of inflammatory musculoskeletal disorders following COVID-19 vaccination and to compare them with those of unvaccinated individuals. Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis retrospective nationwide cohort study used data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database, involving 2,218,715 individuals. Data were collected from January 1, 2021, to 12 weeks after the second dose of vaccine for vaccinated individuals and 12 weeks after September 30, 2021, for unvaccinated individuals. ExposuresStatus was categorized as unvaccinated and vaccinated with mRNA vaccine, viral vector vaccine, and mixing and matching. Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe primary outcome was the occurrence of inflammatory musculoskeletal disorders that were selected as plantar fasciitis (ICD code, M72.2), rotator cuff syndrome (M75.1), adhesive capsulitis (M75.0), herniated intervertebral disc (HIVD) (M50.2/M51.2), spondylosis (M47.9), bursitis (M71.9), Achilles tendinitis (M76.6), and de-Quervain tenosynovitis (M65.4). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders after adjusting for potential confounders. ResultsAmong the 2,218,715 individuals, 1,882,640 (84.9%) received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 336,075 (15.1%) did not. At 12 weeks after vaccination, the incidences of plantar fasciitis (0.14-0.17%), rotator cuff syndrome (0.29-0.42%), adhesive capsulitis (0.29-0.47%), HIVD (0.18-0.23%), spondylosis (0.14-0.23%), bursitis (0.02-0.03%), Achilles tendinitis (0.0-0.05%), and de-Quervain tenosynovitis (0.04-0.05%) were higher in all three vaccinated groups (mRNA, cDNA, and mixing and matching vaccines) when compared to the unvaccinated group. All COVID-19 vaccines were identified as significant risk factors for each inflammatory musculoskeletal disorder (odds ratio, 1.404-3.730), except for mixing and matching vaccines for de-Quervain tenosynovitis. Conclusions and RelevanceThis cohort study found that individuals who received any COVID-19 vaccine were more likely to be diagnosed with inflammatory musculoskeletal disorders than those who did not. This information will be useful in clarifying the adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccines and informing people about their potential for inflammatory musculoskeletal disorders after vaccination.

Acute myopericarditis and left shoulder capsulitis following second dose of mRNA SARS-CoV-2 Moderna vaccination.

Vaccination against mRNA SARS-CoV-2 has been administered on a very large scale and various side effects have been described. The increased risk of myopericarditis is known, and only a few cases of shoulder capsulitis have been reported after vaccination. These two pathologies have never been reported in the same patient after vaccination. Our article presents the history of a man in his 40s who presented with myopericarditis a few days after vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 with mRNA(Messenger RNA) Moderna® vaccine and who at the same time developed shoulder capsulitis. His cardiovascular symptoms resolved rapidly, and his shoulder symptoms improved/resolved within 1 year. This case should make physicians aware of the possibility of several concomitant side effects following vaccination against SARS-CoV-2.

Adhesive Capsulitis After COVID-19 Vaccination: A Case Series.

ABSTRACT: Of the many bizarre complications of administration of the COVID 19 vaccine, adhesive capsulitis is almost unheard of, although shoulder injury related to vaccine administration, which by definition has symptom onset within 48 hrs and is caused by faulty injection technique, has been rarely reported. Nine cases of adhesive capsulitis, five males and four females with a mean age of 48.7 ± 12.7 yrs, presenting within 1 mo of intramuscular Covishield vaccine on the ipsilateral deltoid and fulfilling the standard UK FROST Multicenter Study diagnostic criteria are reported. The mean time interval from vaccination until symptom onset was 12.3 ± 3.1 days, and mean symptom duration was 9.4 ± 2.4 wks. Conventional treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, followed by intra-articular steroid injection coupled with suprascapular nerve steroid block, improved the pain score and range of movement in 8 wks. The exact pathogenesis remains an enigma, although mechanisms such as local spread via deltoid muscle microvasculature, nerves, or shoulder injury related to vaccine administration causing secondary adhesive capsulitis have been hypothesized. While adhesive capsulitis is a very common diagnosis in the physiatric outpatient setting, the possible association with Covishield vaccination, the Indian version of the Oxford AstraZeneca recombinant ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine, is almost absent in existing literature and hence likely to be missed by clinicians, which necessitates this report.

Living with frozen shoulder. 'Here are the risks. I want the injection'. An interpretative phenomenological analysis.

BACKGROUND: Frozen shoulder is a disabling condition characterised by severe pain and loss of shoulder movement and may affect up to 5% of the population. Qualitative research documents debilitating pain and how treatment to reduce pain is a priority for people diagnosed with frozen shoulder. Corticosteroid injections are a principal treatment to reduce the pain of frozen shoulder, however little is known about the patient experience. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to address this gap in the knowledge by exploring the lived experience of people with frozen shoulder who have undergone an injection and to highlight other novel findings. DESIGN: This is a qualitative study using interpretative phenomenological analysis. One-to-one, semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven people diagnosed with frozen shoulder who had received a corticosteroid injection as part of their management. METHODOLOGY: A purposive sample of participants were interviewed via MSTeams™ due to Covid-19 restrictions. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed in accordance with interpretive phenomenological analysis methods. RESULTS: Three group experiential themes were identified: the dilemma surrounding injections; the challenges of understanding the causes of frozen shoulder; the impact on self and others. CONCLUSION: Participants conveyed a strong desire in seeking a corticosteroid injection whilst seemingly dismissing the risks. A novel concept was illuminated as frozen shoulder seemed inextricably linked with the ageing process, which negatively impacted body-image. The impact on others is driven by a sense of the unfamiliar nature of illness and it is incumbent on healthcare professionals to seek opportunities to explore the individual's beliefs.

Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration (SIRVA) in 16 Patients Following COVID-19 Vaccination Who Presented to Chiropractic, Orthopedic, and Physiotherapy Clinics in Hong Kong During 2021.

BACKGROUND Shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) occurs when an intramuscular deltoid injection is administered into the shoulder joint. This observational study describes clinical features in 16 patients with SIRVA following Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination who presented to chiropractic, orthopedic, and physiotherapy clinics in Hong Kong between January 1, 2021, and January 1, 2022. MATERIAL AND METHODS Adults age ≥18 with new-onset shoulder pain and imaging-confirmed shoulder pathology were retrospectively identified from 35 clinics. Patient demographics and clinical and vaccination details were extracted from the electronic medical record. Shoulder injury was determined by correlating clinical and imaging features. RESULTS Of 730 patients with shoulder pain, 16 SIRVA cases (mean age, 49±10 years, 75% female) were identified; (12/16, 75%) of patients received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine while (4/16, 25%) received Sinovac-CoronaVac. The most common diagnosis was adhesive capsulitis (10/16, 63%), followed by bursitis (3/16, 19%) and supraspinatus tear (3/16, 19%). Mean symptom onset was 3.5±2.5 days post-vaccination, and always occurred after the 2nd or 3rd vaccination, involving reduced shoulder range of motion (ROM). Mean baseline pain was 8.1±1 (out of 10). All patients received conservative care (eg, exercise, manual therapies). At 3-month follow-up, mean pain reduced to 2.4±1.4; all patients had normal shoulder ROM. CONCLUSIONS In the past 2 years, millions of intramuscular COVID-19 vaccinations have been administered. It is important that clinicians are aware of SIRVA as a cause of new symptoms of shoulder injury and should ask the patient about recent vaccinations, including for COVID-19.

Shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) after COVID-19 vaccination.

OBJECTIVE: The global fight against COVID-19 has required mass vaccination clinics as well as mass recruitment of personnel, including many who may not regularly administer intramuscular deltoid immunizations, potentially increasing the incidence of improper intramuscular injection. Shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) is a well-described, preventable injury resulting from improper injection into anatomic structures adjacent to the deltoid muscle leading to mechanical and chemical trauma augmented by an inflammatory immune response to the vaccine and/or adjuvants. SIRVA is best described in the setting of influenza vaccination, and little is known about it as it pertains to COVID-19 vaccination. This study aims to describe SIRVA in the current pandemic, increase clinician awareness, and offer considerations for prevention. METHODS: To identify clinical characteristics of patients with post-COVID-19-vaccination shoulder injuries, we performed a systematic review of the cases of vaccination-related shoulder injuries reported in the literature and conducted a review of the public Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). RESULTS: We identified 305 cases of SIRVA in the VAERS database and 28 cases of SIRVA in the setting of COVID-19 vaccination from the literature (n = 333). Patients had a mean age of 51.8 years and a median of 51.5 (range: 19-90) years. Of these, 76.3% were female and 23.7% male. Most patients sought medical evaluation with 54 of the 305 VAERS cases reporting utilizing emergency services. Of patients with imaging-confirmed SIRVA (n = 95), the most common diagnoses were adhesive capsulitis and bursitis, and the most common symptoms were pain (97.7%) and limited range of motion (68.1%). Most patients reported requiring treatment with the majority receiving physical therapy (56.3%), followed by cortisone injection (34.4%). Other modalities used were non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, oral steroids, and surgery. Only 5 patients from this group reported recovery while 60 stated they had not yet recovered. Of those, 23.3% reported disability. CONCLUSION: SIRVA should be regarded as an under-reported, significant cause of post-vaccination morbidity. In the setting of COVID-19 mass vaccination, clinicians must be aware of signs and symptoms of SIRVA as well as appropriate diagnostic modalities and treatment options. Additionally, standardization and proper education regarding injection technique and appropriate needle length is imperative to reducing harm.

Subacromial-subdeltoid bursitis following COVID-19 vaccination: a case of shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA).

Vaccination injection site adverse reactions are usually mild and transient, and post-vaccination musculoskeletal symptoms, such as myalgia and arthralgia, are very common. Shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA), defined as shoulder pain and limited range of motion occurring after the administration of a vaccine intended for intramuscular administration in the upper arm, is a well-established condition in the medical literature, yet underreported. In such cases, subacromial-subdeltoid bursitis may occur, leading to shoulder dysfunction and ongoing pain. Millions of doses of vaccines for the prevention of COVID-19 have been administered to adults worldwide during the pandemic. We report a case of subacromial-subdeltoid bursitis after COVID-19 vaccination, related to the unintentional injection of vaccine solution into the bursa resulting in a robust immune-mediated inflammatory reaction.